I've heard that NYC and its tri-state suburbs have the most
expensive housing in the country; how does a family on a tight
budget find an affordable home?

The
short answer is that it is a big challenge, but not at all
impossible. The tricky part is first knowing how and where
to look. You can find your house in 100 different communities
but the prices could vary from $300,000 into the multimillions,
especially if you want newer construction. And the tax implications
in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, even town to town,
can vary dramatically. If you are up to the challenge, you
have an enormous amount of research ahead of you to get it
right. Or you can just call the Intrepid New Yorker.

APARTMENT
HUNTING IN NYC

I'm overwhelmed. What's the difference between loft, brownstone,
pre-war, post-war and luxury high rise apartments? And what
the heck does rent stabilized vs. rent controlled vs. unregulated
apartments mean? And do I really have to pay a real estate agent
up to 15% of the first year's rent, and how do I know I am not
being ripped off in the process?

There
is no short answer. Finding an apartment in NYC is fraught
with peril if you don't know what you are doing, where the
deals are, which brokers to trust. The only smart thing to
do is call The Intrepid New Yorker.

COMMUNITY

I don't want to just find a house, I want to find a community
that fits our family's lifestyle and values. But I can't even
figure out whether we are better suited to live in Connecticut,
New Jersey or New York State, let alone which town.

It
is not easy. If you hire The Intrepid New Yorker, we would
first carefully assess who you are, what type of social life
and culture you are looking for, whether philosophically you
are more interested in private or public schools, country
clubs or public recreation facilities. We'd want to know if
you consider yourself more an urbanite or suburbanite. We
would also want to assess your quality-of-life issues and
what's on your trade-off list, your wish list and your must-have
list. With that knowledge, we would come up with a very short
and strategic list of communities that are as close a match
as possible.

LIFESTYLE

I am leaving a wonderfully civilized lifestyle behind. Can
I get my quality-of-life needs met in an expensive megametropolis
like New York?

Absolutely. But don't expect it to be a duplication of the
way of life you are leaving. The most important issue to recognize
is that the NY area is a unique and one-of-a-kind place to
live. You may not be getting a 10-minute commute or a 3000-square-foot
home for $200,000, but you are going to be moving
to one of the most culturally rich environments in the world.
Depending on what matters most to you in terms of lifestyle,
there are any number of ways to achieve your goals…with a
trade-off or two. The Intrepid New Yorker can cut to the chase
and make sure what matters most is factored into your neighborhood/community
search here.

SCHOOLS

I have heard that public schools in the NYC area are not viable.
Is that true?

Not
true at all. For example, if you are planning to live in Manhattan
or one of NYC's urban boroughs such as Queens or Brooklyn,
there are truly superb public schools in each on the elementary,
middle and high school levels. The problem is that there are
many more that are not viable. It is imperative that you know
which schools to target. In the suburbs, the hundreds of choices
can seem overwhelming and there can be subtle or dramatic
differences school to school, even within the same township.
But The Intrepid New Yorker will know where to send you.

SPOUSAL
AND FAMILY PURSUITS

As
a spouse and parent, will I be able to create an interesting
and satisfying life for myself and my family, in NYC?

Contrary
to newcomers' perceptions, there may not be a more exciting
or culturally rich metropolis for spouses and children. There
isn't a personal endeavor that can't be pursued here; the
choices are unlimited and can be as ambitious or low-key as
you wish. For the record, The Intrepid New Yorker can get
you and your family plugged into just the right pursuits for
your needs and desires, whether in the city or the suburbs.